Smaller Not Always Better

October 30, 2002

While Floridians debate and prepare to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment to limit public school class sizes, a similar issue is being debated in Palm Beach County: whether to increase the size of the county's middle schools.

Most research shows that students, especially those who struggle academically, learn better in a smaller environment. Proponents of the class-size amendment generally take that to mean smaller classes, but studies suggest the size of the school may be even more important.

Those studies made such an impression on the Florida Legislature that it passed a law, to take effect next year, requiring that new middle schools have no more than 700 students. Palm Beach County and other school districts can get around the law by grouping several small "schools" together on one large campus.

The Palm Beach County School District currently builds middle schools to a capacity of 1,300, but is considering expanding that to 1,970 for at least two schools, Jefferson Davis west of West Palm Beach and a planned middle school west of Lake Worth. The moves would allow the district to avoid building another suburban middle school, thus saving $18 million.

The prospect of middle schools approaching the mega-sizes of the county's high schools alarms many parents and other advocates of small schools. But proponents say larger schools can offer a wider variety of advanced placement and specialty courses. Also, particularly in the case of Jefferson Davis, with its densely populated boundaries, enlarging a school's capacity can reduce the number of students who must attend a school farther from home.

Clearly there are sound arguments on both sides. As with class sizes, few would argue that bigger is better. But given the funding crisis afflicting Florida's schools, bigger may at least be more practical in some cases. Just as the state can't afford the limitations on class sizes called for by Amendment 9, so school districts may not be able to afford 700-student middle schools.

State Rep. Bill Andrews has criticized the Palm Beach County district for not following the Legislature's wishes regarding small schools. But a Legislature that consistently underfunds education should encourage, not discourage, creative, money-saving solutions such as the expansion of some schools.

Smaller schools may be ideal, but what really makes a difference in education is quality teachers. In an era of difficult choices, expanding two schools makes more sense than keeping them small and then building a third. And just think how many good teachers could be hired for $18 million.